Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) continue to gain ground in e-commerce, including 10-year-old online shopping platform Shopee.

Since its debut, Shopee has facilitated an estimated $270 billion in sales from MSMEs. The number of sellers has doubled annually on average, proving how online marketplaces have become fertile ground for emerging businesses.

This MSME growth has been largely decentralized-80 percent of MSME sellers on Shopee operate outside capital cities, with consumers in these areas accounting for more than 140 billion items purchased.

With users spread across more than 400 cities, Shopee now ranks as the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Brazil.

‘The past decade has been a time of tremendous change as the digital economy opened new opportunities for people and businesses everywhere,’ says Terence Pang, chief operating officer at Shopee.

‘We are deeply grateful to our community of MSME sellers who first kickstarted their online journey 10 years ago on our platform, and continue to partner us as they grow and unlock greater success through e-commerce,’ Pang adds.

Cross-border transactions

E-commerce has also fueled the cross-border transactions of MSMEs, with more than 2.1 million sellers enrolling in Shopee’s export program since its launch in 2018.

‘This growth highlights how e-commerce continues to enhance everyday life by bridging geographic barriers and supporting more inclusive access to the digital economy,’ Shopee says.

The surge of video commerce has further helped MSMEs expand their market. Shopee Live has been one of the fastest-growing tools on the platforms, with orders climbing 300 percent annually.

Shopee’s affiliate marketing solutions pushed order volumes up by 30 percent.

Beyond sales, Shopee’s expansion has also extended into employment. More than 97 percent of its staff are locally hired, and its community of affiliates and creators has grown to more than 23 million.

Earnings of these partners have risen by about 90 percent each year.

Owned by Sea Limited, Shopee captured 48 percent of the regional online shopping market in 2024, according to Momentum Works. INQ

Rain or Shine used a strong fourth quarter to beat Converge, 90-84, in the PBA Philippine Cup at Ynares Sports Center in Montalban, Rizal, on Sunday night.

After a neck-and-neck three quarters, the Elasto Painters shifted to a higher gear late in the fourth period to improve to a league-best 7-2 record.

‘Converge was still in it with their momentum so thankfully we got our shots in late. It’s a big win for us,’ Gian Mamuyac said.

‘[There’s] still a lot of things to improve on but I’m just proud of my team and coaches with how we fought today.’

Converge led by just a point, 75-74, early in the fourth quarter courtesy of a Larry Muyang short stab.

Rain or Shine responded with a 16-6 run capped by a Gian Mamuyac triple for a 90-81 lead at the 2:35 mark of the payoff period.

Mamuyac finished with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists.

‘We just kept the pace fast. We felt that with their bigs having foul troubles and playing small ball, we were able to speed up the game,’ coach Yeng Guiao explained.

‘It helped that when we went small, we maintained the pace of the game,’ he added.

Helping Mamuyac in the Elasto Painters win were Santi Santillan and Andrei Caracut, who finished with 16 and 13 points, respectively. Mike Malonzo also recorded a double-double in the victory with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Juan Gomez de Liaño impressed anew with 20 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the loss. Muyang nearly had a double-double with 18 points and nine boards while Justine Baltazar dominated the paint with 10 points and 21 rebounds in a losing effort.

Converge dropped to a three-way logjam for the third seed with NLEX and Magnolia at 6-3.

As for the Elasto Painters, they will be flying to Bahrain next week for a clash with the Hotshots at Khalifa sports City Stadium.

The story is told about a speaker who gave such a long and boring speech, and yet from time to time, sounds of clapping could be heard. Why? People from the audience were slapping themselves and each other just to stay awake.

In today’s Gospel (Mt. 3, 1-12), John the Baptist ‘slaps’ his audience loud and clear with his message: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ He did not mince words, calling the hypocrites a ‘brood of vipers,’ shattering their complacency and entitlement as children of Abraham. He preached the inconvenient truth not to please his audience, but to proclaim the will of God.

We can learn much from John the Baptist as a preacher. First, he did not preach himself. His ministry was all about Jesus, not himself. Second, he did not enrich himself. He remained poor and simple. Third, he reached out to everyone passionately and zealously, going much beyond his comfort zone to proclaim God’s message and to help save his brothers and sisters. Fourth, he knew how to fade away, and let Jesus shine. He remained humble. He had no illusions about grandeur and fame.

‘Six days of the week he is invisible, and that one day he is visible, he is not understandable.’ Presence and clarity are what the sheep need from their shepherds. May we who claim to be disciples of Christ be constantly reminded that ours is a ministry of presence and essence.

Tomorrow is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the blessed Virgin Mary, Principal Patroness of the Philippines. As a country and as a people, let us journey on, aware and assured that we have a Mother who will not leave us, and who will help us, especially in difficult moments of our journey. Mama Mary, please help our people, guide and purify our leaders and government workers.

Dec. 8 is also the birthday of Mama Conching. We honor our mothers. Our mothers have a very deep effect on us, on our character and mindset. Someone once said that the heart that is closest to, and truly approximates, God’s heart is a mother’s heart.

Mama taught me the way to journey through life. She showed me that the road to God’s heart is through prayer, humility, kindness, and joy. I have simplified my everyday agenda, and that is to be prayerful, to be humble, to be joyful, and to be kind to people.

‘We turn to God for help when our foundations are shaking, only to learn that it is God who is shaking them’ (Charles West). When we go through earthshaking and life-changing experiences, bitter or painful they may be, may we experience God in a real and personal way, and come out of these experiences better, stronger, and purer persons. God is shaking our foundations as a country and as a people these days. May something good come out of it, soon.

Sharing with you a beautiful prayer by Sir Francis Drake for Advent: ‘Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess, we have lost our thirst for the waters of life. Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity. And in our efforts to build a new earth, we have allowed our vision of Heaven to dim . Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly . to venture on wider seas where storms will show Your mastery . Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars . We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes, and to push into the future in strength, courage, hope and love.’

Life is short. Death is certain. We can never know where, when, or how we will die. However, we can choose the kind of death we will have by the way we live our lives. The choice is ours: whether to waste our lives in selfishness and sin, or to live in righteousness and love. As J. Banville said, ‘Perhaps all of life is no more than a long preparation for the leaving of it.’

Think about this: ‘We tend to dwell on yesterday, work to death for tomorrow and forget to live for today; accept what is, let go of what was and have faith in what will be.’

Dec. 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Let us hold on to Her message to us all through Juan Diego: ‘I am here, I am your Mother; do not fear, I am near.’

A moment with the Lord:

Lord, remind us that the time to change, is now. Amen.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) no. 1 is in effect in 17 areas across Luzon and the Visayas on Sunday morning due to Tropical Depression Wilma, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Pagasa said areas under Signal no. 1 are expected to experience winds of 39 to 61 kilometers per hour (kph), which may cause ‘light damage to medium- to high-risk structures.’

The following areas are under Signal no. 1 as of 8 a.m.:

Luzon

Sorsogon

Masbate including Ticao and Burias Islands

Romblon

the southern portion of Oriental Mindoro

the southern portion of Occidental Mindoro

Visayas

Northern Samar

the northern and central portions of Eastern Samar

the northern and central portions of Samar

Biliran

the northern portion of Leyte

the northern portion of Cebu including Bantayan Islands

the northern portion of Negros Occidental

the central and eastern portions of Iloilo

Capiz

Aklan

the northern and central portions of Antique including Caluya Islands

In its 8 a.m. advisory, Pagasa said Wilma is packing maximum sustained winds of 45 kph, with gusts of up to 60 kph.

The tropical depression was last located over the coastal waters of Almagro, Samar, moving west-northwest at 15 kph, Pagasa added.

Pagasa said Wilma will move ‘generally west-southwestward’ and is expected to continue over Southern Luzon and the Visayas on Sunday before emerging over the Sulu Sea.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has committed to the timely and transparent release of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) funds to support the immediate expansion of its benefits and the improvement of services.

This comes as PhilHealth is set to receive P113 billion in 2026, following the restoration of P60 billion in previously withheld funds, in addition to the P53.13 billion originally proposed for next year.

In a statement, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto described the allocation of a record-breaking P113-billion subsidy as ‘the boldest and most decisive investment in universal healthcare for vulnerable and underprivileged Filipinos in the country’s history.’

‘A significant portion of the subsidy will be sourced from sin tax revenues-funds collected from alcohol and tobacco products that are channeled back into healthcare,’ Recto said.

He added that the unprecedented P113-billion subsidy would directly support the health-care needs of indigent families, senior citizens, people with disabilities and other vulnerable sectors, ensuring that millions receive expanded PhilHealth coverage without additional burden.

Earlier decision

In a decision dated Dec. 3, the Supreme Court unanimously ordered the return of P60 billion previously transferred to the National Treasury and permanently prohibited the transfer of the remaining P29.9-billion fund balance.

As early as September, though President Marcos had already ordered the return of the withheld funding to PhilHealth.

Recto noted that the 2026 budget reflects that this promise has been delivered in full.

‘This administration promised to protect underprivileged Filipinos through better healthcare. With the P113-billion allocation, we are not just keeping that promise-we are exceeding it,’ he said.

‘This is the largest single-year investment for the poor under universal healthcare.’

Tropical Depression Wilma accelerated slightly hours after making landfall in Dolores, Eastern Samar, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Sunday.

In its 5 a.m. advisory, the weather bureau said the center of Wilma is now in the vicinity of Calbayog City, Samar.

It is moving west-northwestward at 15 km. per hour (kph) with maximum sustained winds of 45 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 75 kph.

‘Wilma is forecast to move generally west-southwestward for majority of the forecast period,’ Pagasa said.

It added that Wilma will continue to traverse Southern Luzon and Visayas on Sunday before emerging over the Sulu Sea and passing over northern Palawan by Monday morning.

Wilma, it said, will likely remain as a tropical depression throughout its passage over Visayas and Palawan before weakening into a low-pressure area over the West Philippine Sea due to the northeast monsoon (amihan).

The following areas are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1:

Luzon

Sorsogon

Masbate, including Ticao and Burias Islands

Romblon

Southern portion of Oriental Mindoro: Bulalacao, Mansalay, Roxas, Bongabong, Bansud

Southern portion of Occidental Mindoro: Magsaysay, San Jose, Rizal, Calintaan, Sablayan

Northernmost portion of Palawan: Araceli, Dumaran, El Nido, Taytay, Roxas, San Vicente, including Cuyo and Calamian Islands

Visayas

Northern Samar

Northern and central portions of Eastern Samar: Can-Avid, Maslog, Borongan City, San Policarpo, Taft, Maydolong, Dolores, Jipapad, Oras, Arteche, Balangkayan, Sulat, San Julian

Northern and central portions of Samar: San Jorge, San Sebastian, Santa Rita, Villareal, Zumarraga, Matuguinao, Pinabacdao, Almagro, Calbayog City, Talalora, Jiabong, Pagsanghan, Catbalogan City, Gandara, Motiong, Santo Niño, Tagapul-An, San Jose de Buan, Santa Margarita, Tarangnan, Calbiga, Daram, Paranas, Basey, Hinabangan

Biliran

Northern portion of Leyte: Tunga, San Miguel, Matag-Ob, Calubian, Leyte, Carigara, Babatngon, Jaro, San Isidro, Santa Fe, Villaba, Capoocan, Alangalang, Tabango, Tacloban City, Kananga, Barugo, Palo, Pastrana

Northern portion of Cebu, including Bantayan Islands: Daanbantayan, Medellin, Bogo City, San Remigio, Tabogon

Northern portion of Negros Occidental: Sagay City, Escalante City, Enrique B. Magalona, Victorias City, Manapla, Cadiz City

Central and eastern portions of Iloilo: San Dionisio, Estancia, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Ajuy, Sara, Balasan, Lemery, Barotac Viejo, San Rafael, Passi City, San Enrique, Anilao, Banate, Dingle, Barotac Nuevo, Mina, Pototan, New Lucena, Santa Barbara, Leganes, Zarraga, Dumangas, Dueñas, Bingawan, Lambunao, Calinog, Janiuay, Badiangan, Cabatuan, Maasin, Alimodian, San Miguel, Leon, Tubungan, Igbaras

Capiz

Aklan

Northern and central portions of Antique, including Caluya Islands: Patnongon, Sibalom, Barbaza, Valderrama, Pandan, San Jose, Bugasong, Culasi, Sebaste, Tibiao, San Remigio, Libertad, Belison, Laua-An, Hamtic

Pagasa said minimal to minor impacts from strong winds are possible within any of the areas under Signal No. 1.

The amihan, meanwhile, will bring strong to gale-force gusts over most of Luzon, Visayas, and Zamboanga Peninsula.

It said the seaboards of mainland Cagayan, Isabela, and Aurora, as well as the northern and eastern seaboards of Polillo Islands, and Camarines Norte will have up to five-meter waves.

‘Mariners of small seacrafts, including all types of motorbancas, are advised not to venture out to sea under these conditions, especially if inexperienced of operating ill-equipped vessels,’ PAGASA said.

Aside from Wilma and amihan, Pagasa said the shear line will bring cloudy skies with slight rains, particularly over areas of Northern and Central Luzon as well as in Metro Manila, Bicol Region, Calabarzon, and Mimaropa.

K-pop girl group TWICE has donated HK$1 million (US$128,458) to support recovery efforts after a devastating fire in Hong Kong, its agency said Saturday, Dec. 6.

JYP Entertainment announced via Chinese social platform Weibo that the donation was made through Hong Kong World Vision to aid affected children and families.

The funds will be used to provide temporary shelters, psychological treatment, education and livelihood support to those impacted, according to the agency.

TWICE is set to perform at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium on Saturday and Sunday as part of its world tour.

JYP said it had discussed the situation with Live Nation, the local organizer, ultimately deciding to hold the concerts as planned.

‘We express our condolences to the victims and extend our deepest sympathies to the bereaved families,’ the agency added.

Meanwhile, TWICE made waves at the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show following their standout appearance and performance at the high-profile event in New York on Oct. 15.

The girl group is currently on their fourth worldwide and sixth overall concert tour abroad. However member Chaeyoung earlier announced that she would sit out all group activities until the end of the year, after being diagnosed with vasovagal syncope.

Twice came back to the Philippines last Oct. 4 for the Manila leg of their ‘This Is for’ world tour.

Ray Silvestre Canilao is a headhunter and proud of it.

For the president and CEO of Global Executive Solutions Group (GESG), headhunting has been a stress-busting and rewarding experience.

No need to worry, though, that Canilao’s headhunting is harming people. People who have been part of his headhunting work are grateful for what he is doing.

Canilao is actually more of a matchmaker-someone who finds the right person to fill executive position vacancies.

GESG, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, matches leaders or executives with organizations, employing a unique perspective that shaped its non-HR (human resource)-centric approach to executive search.

It identifies leaders who align with a company’s vision, strategy and culture and ensures that every placement contributes to meaningful organizational and industry transformation.

Canilao, who draws from his marketing and general management background in steering GESG towards its goals, says what the company does is not purely HR business. ‘We are not just recruiters,’ he says.

The company, he says, is usually asked to do mid-level, the so-called C-suite, recruitment and goes as far as the region or globally to find the right fit for vacancies that need to be filled. The subjects of searches outside the country are Filipinos who may, for one reason or another, want to return to the place of their birth.

Balikbayans

Many Filipinos want to move back to the Philippines, raise families here or give back to the country, Canilao says.

Rates offered to prospective employees are usually competitive, the GESG CEO says. ‘Companies are starting to look at hiring people as an investment, not a cost.’

But even if some salary offers are lower than what they are currently receiving, there are Filipinos who are willing to make the sacrifice of taking a cut in pay for the opportunity to help their country, Canilao says. The experience of giving back to their home country is valuable to these people.

Canilao stresses that they ensure there is a meeting of the minds between the prospective employer and employee. GESG has to understand what a company is looking for and what the candidate expects. It ensures the company is financially stable and has credibility. ‘We do not just accept a client without [proper] vetting,’ he says.

Personalized hiring process

Transparency and integrity are important for both client and recruit, Canilao points out.

Although GESG’s background check of prospective hires does not include academic qualifications, which in the United States and other countries have spawned new businesses that investigate claims of educational attainment, the company does a thorough check of a potential recruit’s employment history.

Face-to-face interviews are vital part of the hiring process.

‘We have very extensive talks [not only with the prospective employee] but their former bosses, colleagues, etc. We really check their character. We do not want surprises,’ Canilao stresses.

Every step of the hiring process is personalized. GESG has to understand fully what the company is looking for and what the candidate expects. For the client, the company culture and organizational setup may influence employee choices, while for the potential recruit, career path and family situation may affect his or her decision.

Addressing possible disruptions

Aside from outright recruitment, GESG also provides overall consultancy, developing HR approaches that are different from others. It helps the company address disruptions that may result from the entry of new employees.

Canilao admits that establishing credibility and building trust were slow in the early years of the GESG.

‘It took a little time to convince people to accept [the idea of someone outside the company finding the people it needs].’

He relied on his general management experience to grow the company and brought in the right people.

After 20 years, GESG has become a trusted partner of its corporate clients and has established long-term relationships with them. People he has placed in various positions have also been grateful and appreciative of what he has done.

For Canilao personally, interacting with different people the past 20 years has been rewarding and less stressful-exactly what his doctor ordered after a severe case of hypertension caused by his high-pressure previous executive positions.

Overseas expansion

As GESG moves beyond the first 20 years, Canilao is now setting his sights on expanding outside the Philippines. This will probably start with neighboring Association of Southeast Asian Nations members Indonesia and Malaysia.

But wherever his search for future business executives takes him, Canilao will continue to be guided by his personal definition of leadership.

‘True leadership is not only about guiding companies or governments-it must be rooted in compassion and, most importantly, integrity, [which] is the core value and foundation of our work. Leaders must be strong, compassionate and accountable, because without these qualities, where would we go?’

‘At any given time, leadership requires transparency, mutual trust and confidence. Accountability is essential; leaders must own their actions and decisions. This is critical not just for companies, but for governments as well. Leadership with these qualities ensures that organizations and communities can thrive even amid challenges,’ he says. -Contributed

Katy Perry has officially made her relationship with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Instagram official after she posted snaps from their recent trip to Tokyo, Japan.

The pop star took to Instagram on Monday, Dec. 6, to give her followers a glimpse of their intimate trip. The carousel of photos showed an image of the pair posing outdoors, dining in a restaurant and enjoying an art exhibit.

In her caption, Perry wrote: ‘Tokyo times on tour and more.’ The post comes after months the pair were spotted together on multiple dates including a viral yacht intimate sighting.

Reports say the two began seeing each other earlier in 2025, first spotted dining together in Montréal and later seen publicly in Paris on Katy’s 41st birthday.

The dating news follows Perry’s split from longtime partner and fiancé Orlando Bloom earlier this year. Perry and Bloom share a daughter and ended their relationship in mid-2025 after nearly a decade of an on-and-off partnership.

Trudeau served as Canada’s 23rd prime minister from 2015 until 2025, leading the Liberal Party for a decade. He stepped away from political leadership earlier this year, shortly before his relationship with Perry became public.

Meanwhile, Perry rose to global fame with her 2008 hit ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ followed by chart-topping singles including ‘Firework,’ ‘Teenage Dream,’ ‘Roar,’ ‘Dark Horse’ and ‘Thinking of You.’

Over the years, Perry has sold tens of millions of albums worldwide. She recently embarked on her ‘Lifetimes Tour,’ to promote her latest music, marking her return to large-scale touring after a hiatus.

Labor coalition Nagkaisa on Sunday called on the Office of the Ombudsman to create a fact-finding task force that will investigate and penalize those involved in the transfer of P60 billion worth of funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to the National Treasury.

The Supreme Court earlier declared as unconstitutional a special provision in 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA) which authorized the transfer of the supposed excess funds, and voided a Department of Finance (DOF) circular that instructed PhilHealth to remit a total of P89.9 billion to the National Treasury.

In its decision issued on Dec. 3, the high court ordered for the P60 billion that was already remitted to be returned to PhilHealth through the 2026 GAA while the transfer of the remaining P29.9 billion was permanently prohibited.

As one of the petitioners-in-intervention who questioned the transfer of the PhilHealth funds, Nagkaisa said it welcomed the Supreme Court ruling but noted that ‘clearly, the fight does not end here.’

The group pointed out that according to the high court, ‘a petition for certiorari under rule 65 is not a vehicle to hold officials criminally or civilly liable.’

In its ruling, the Supreme Court declined the petitioners’ request to determine the alleged liability of then Finance Secretary Ralph Recto for technical malversation and/or plunder over the transfer of PhilHealth funds.

It said a petition for certiorari and prohibition is not the proper remedy to adjudge criminal liability or innocence for technical malversation and/or plunder, as it is a special civil action that is limited to a determination of grave abuse of discretion.

The high court ruled that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. did not commit grave abuse of discretion when he certified as urgent House Bill No. 8980, which is now the 2024 GAA, noting that the move was approved by Congress, which has the sole authority to decide whether or not a certification of urgency is valid.

Moreover, Supreme Court justices who submitted their respective separate opinions also noted that no criminal liability can attach to the DOF secretary as he was found to have acted in good faith in implementing the special provision authorizing the transfer.

In response, Nagkaisa urged the Ombudsman to create a fact-finding task force that will determine ‘who approved, implemented and benefited from the diversion to unprogrammed appropriations and unfunded infrastructure projects, including alleged ‘ghost’ projects.’

PDIC fund transfer

A separate task force should also be created to probe the P107 billion worth of Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. funds that was transferred to the National Treasury in compliance with the 2024 GAA, which would be used for ‘similarly questionable unprogrammed infrastructure,’ Nagkaisa said.

‘Public trust funds for health care and deposit insurance are not pork barrel. If the money of the people was used, it is the duty of the Ombudsman to know who benefitted-and hold them accountable,’ said Nagkaisa.

The group criticized Recto, now the executive secretary, for saying that the transfer of PhilHealth funds was a ‘common sense approach to optimize government coffers without resorting to additional borrowing or new taxes.’

‘Logic and common sense protect workers’ health contributions and depositors’ insurance, not raid them for pork barrel shortcuts. Taking money from the sick and the poor to bankroll ghost projects is negative social justice, not fiscal wisdom,’ said the group.